Beyoncé finally secured the Grammy for Album of the Year on Sunday for her groundbreaking Cowboy Carter, while rapper Kendrick Lamar dominated the night with a clean sweep of awards in a ceremony celebrating Los Angeles.
Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Doechii, and Sabrina Carpenter emerged as major winners at the performance-heavy event, while music giants Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish left empty-handed.
Beyoncé’s victory makes her the most nominated and most decorated artist in Grammy history, as well as the first Black woman this century to win the top prize.
Her win was especially significant as Cowboy Carter highlighted the contributions of Black artists to country music, an industry that has historically sidelined them.
“I just feel very full and very honoured,” Beyoncé said, with her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy cheering in the audience.
She dedicated her award to Linda Martell, a pioneering Black Country musician featured on the album.
“I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors,” she added.
The win brought Beyoncé’s total trophies on the night to three, including awards for her collaboration with Miley Cyrus and Best Country Album.
“I was not expecting this,” she said, her voice shaking. “Sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists.”
“I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent.”
Lamar, Chappell Roan shine
Hip-hop legend Kendrick Lamar dominated the night, winning all five categories in which he was nominated, including Record and Song of the Year for his diss track Not Like Us.
The song, which targets rapper Drake, shattered streaming records and became a West Coast anthem.
“Nothing more powerful than rap music,” Lamar said in his acceptance speech. “We are the culture.”
He dedicated his win to Los Angeles, which continues to recover from devastating wildfires.
The Best New Artist prize went to Chappell Roan, marking a breakout year for the Midwestern singer, who went from struggling artist to pop sensation.
In her acceptance speech, Roan called on record labels to offer musicians fair pay and healthcare.
“Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees,” she said. “We got you, but do you got us?”
‘Anything is possible’
Doechii became just the third woman to win Best Rap Album, with Cardi B presenting her with the award.
“Anything is possible,” Doechii said, addressing Black women directly.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, too loud, or not smart enough,” she said. “You are exactly who you need to be.”
Sabrina Carpenter won Best Pop Vocal Album after delivering a vintage Hollywood-inspired performance of her hits Espresso and Please Please Please.
Shakira took home Best Latin Pop Album and later wowed the audience with a medley of her classics.
Charli XCX also won three awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Album for her hit Brat, before closing the show with a high-energy performance.
‘Love you, LA’
This year’s Grammys paid tribute to Los Angeles, celebrating its resilience in the wake of recent wildfires.
Host Trevor Noah announced that at least $7 million was raised for wildfire relief.
LA firefighters presented Beyoncé with her award, while students who lost their schools joined Stevie Wonder in singing We Are the World as a tribute to the late Quincy Jones.
The night opened with a supergroup including Sheryl Crow and John Legend performing I Love LA, while Billie Eilish donned an LA Dodgers cap for her song Birds of a Feather.
“I love you, LA,” she said, to huge cheers.
